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UNIVERSITY  OF  N,C.  AT  CHAPEL  I 


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IF  LOR  A      .4 
MACDONALD  J 


A  HISTORY 


AND  A  MESSAGE 

FROM 

JAMES  A  MACDONALD  DD  LLD    -^^^ 

EDITOR  TORONTO  GLOBE 


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This  hook  is  not  for  sale  hut  for  distribution.   A  copy  ■li'ill  he 

scut  to  anyone  who  may  be  interested  in  the  perpetuation  of  the 

memory  of  the  great  Scottish  Heroine. 


Copyright,  1916,  by 
Scottish  Society  of  America 


Designed,  I'rinted  and  Kngi-a\'ed  Iv 

Jamks  William  Hryan  Press 

Washiniiton,  D.  C. 


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TO  ALL  WHO  LOVE     H? 

BONNIE  SCOTLAND 
HER  HEROES  £,  HEROINES 
THIS  BGDK 15  DEDICATED 


m,**^' 


RESPONSIBILITY 

This  book  is  published  and  sent  out  to  our  Fellow  Scots  and  all  the  world  by 

Col.  Benlhan  Cameron 
Chieftain  Clan  Cameron,  Raleigh,  N.  C. 

James  A.  Macdonalu,  D.  D.,  LL.  D. 
Editor-in-Chief,  Toronto  Globe,  Toronto,  Canada 

C.  G.  Vardell,  D.  D. 

President  Flora  Alacdonald  College,  Red  Springs,  N.  C. 
Representing  the  Scottish  Society  of  America,  and 


John  Gordon  Grey 
Past  President  St.  Andrew's  Societ\'  of  Philadelphia 

Walter  Scott 
Roval  Tanist,  and  Past  Roval  Chief  Order  of  Scottish  Clans,  New  York 

Henry  C.  Anderson 
Past  President  St.  Andrew's  Scottish  Society,  Citv  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  '    v 

George  Austin  Morrison,  Jr.  j"^^^^  L3 

Past  President  St.  Andrew's  Scottish  Society  of  the  State  of  New  York,  New  York,  N.  Y.  I)''!',"-'  ■ 

Henry  B.  F.  Macfarland 
Washington,  D.  C. 

GroRch  Hail  MonErr,  Fsq^ 
President  St.  Andiew's  >ociet\   i>f  Charleston,  S.  C,  Founded  m    1729,  Charleston,  S.  C.  ""'•' 


S  long  as  the  banks  and  braes  of  Scotland  shall  endure, 
as  long  as  Scotland's  sons  shall   delight  to  honor  the 
great  names  of  their  land,  as  long  as   human   hearts 
shall   warm   to   the  appeal    of  heroism    and   unselfish 
devotion,  so  long  shall  the  name  of  Flora  Macdonald 
stand  high  among  the  heroines  of  the  world. 
One  cannot  study  the  life  of  Flora   Macdonald  with- 
out   being    convinced    that    the    bravery,    loyalty   and 
resourcefulness    shown    when    she    saved    Scotland's 
"  Bonnie  Prince"  from  disgrace  and  death,  were  characteristics  that  remained 
with  her  through  life  and  that  above  all  her  other  excellent  qualities,  her 
complete  and  abiding  trust  in  God  was  the  mainspring  ot  that  nobility  ot  bear- 
ing and  calm  resignation  which  never  lorsook  her  when  the  dark  days  came. 
All  who  met  Flora  Macdonald  felt  the  charm  ot  her  personality.    Many 
of  her  distinguished  friends  testified  to  her  generosity  of  soul.    Frederick, 
Prince  of  Wales,  paid  her  his  homage;  Bishop  Forbes  of  Leith  extolled  her 
virtues;   Dr.  Johnson  penned  his  tribute  of  praise,  and   Malcolm   McKay 
declared  that  "for   grace  and   dignity   Flora    Macdonald   excelled  all   the 
women  he  ever  beheld." 

It  seems  a  tar  cry  from  Rome,  the  birthplace  of  Prince  Charles,  to  the 
isle  in  the  Hebrides  where  Flora  Macdonald  was  born,  yet  the  sad  tate  of 
the  Stuart  Prince  and  the  heroic  deed  of  the  Highland  girl  arc  forever  en- 
twined in  song  and  story.  In  1722,  the  date  of  Flora's  birth,  her  father, 
Ranald  Macdonald,  lived  on  his  farm,  Milton,  in  South  Uist,  and  was  tacks- 
man of  the  surrounding  soil.  He  called  his  only  daughter,  Fionnghal,  the 
Fair  One,  and  she  grew  up  not  only  attractive  and  lovable,  but  wise  bevond 
her  years.  Parents  held  her  up  as  an  example  to  their  children,  saying, 
"When  will  you  resemble  Flora  of  Milton?"  With  the  children  themselves, 
she  was  a  recognized  leader  and  a  favorite  everywhere.  Her  childhood  home 
with  its  gleaming  lakes,  encircling  hills,  and  neighboring  ocean  was  the  very 
place  to  influence  this  thoughtful  girl — 

[7] 


"With  high  objects,  with 
enduring  things. 

With  life  and  nature;  pur- 
ifying thus 

The  elements  of  feeling 
and  of  thought." 

Flora  liked  nothing 
better  than  to  listen  to 
the  folklore  of  the  West- 
ern Isles  as  she  heard  it 
recited  and  sung  by  the 
bards,  and  she  became 
well-versed  in  the  liter- 
ature of  legend,  poetry 
and  proverb.  Gifted 
with  a  sweet  voice,  she 
began  to  sing  the  quaint 
old  Celtic  songs,  and 
later  she  added  to  her 
accomplishments  by 
learning  to  play  thespin- 
et,  or  small  piano. 

Flora's  father  died 
when  she  was  but  two 
years  old  and  a  few  years 
later  her  mother  mar- 
ried Hugh  Macdonald 
of  Armadale,  in  Skye. 
Lady  Clanranald,  who  loved  Flora  as  though  she  were  her  own  daughter, 
begged  her  company,  and  at  the  age  ot  thirteen  Flora  went  to  live  with  Lady 
Clanranald  and  enjoyed  for  three  years  the  tuition  of  a  governess.  Meanwhile, 
Lady  Margaret  Macdonald,  wife  of  Sir  Alexander  Macdonald  of  the  Isles, 
had  become  strongly  attached  to  the  bright,  winsome  girl,  and  when  Flora 
was  seventeen  it  was  arranged  that  she  should  pay  Lady  ^Margaret  a  long 
visit.  Both  Sir  Alexander  and  Lady  Margaret  became  deeply  interested  in 
Flora's  progress  in  her  studies,  and  they  now  proposed  that  she  should 
accompany  them  to  Fdinburgh,  there  to  attend  one  ot  the  best  schools  in 
Scotland. 

At  last  Flora  had  the  opportunity  she  had  longed  for  and  was  entered 
as  a  pupil  at  the  Seminary  which  was  located  just  off  the  then  fashionable 
High  Street.  She  soon  stood  at  the  head  of  her  classes  and  gave  much  ot 
her  time  and  attention  to  her  favorite  study  of  music,  in  which  she  was  by 

[8] 


far  the  most  advanced  student.  During  her  stay  of  more  than  three  years 
in  Edinburgh,  much  of  her  time  was  spent  with  Lord  Macdonald's  family, 
in  whose  hospitable  home  gathered  the  best  society  of  this  Northern 
Athens. 

In  company  with  Lady  Margaret,  Flora  was  a  welcome  guest  at  Eglin- 
ton  Castle  in  Ayrshire,  where  she  met  the  distinguished  people  of  the  day, 
for  the  Countess  and  her  handsome  daughters  then  ruled  the  social  world  of 
Scotland.  Everywhere  Flora  won  golden  opinions  by  her  intelligence,  sweet 
disposition  and  modest,  charming  manners.  She  was  often  the  center  of  an 
admiring  group  who  listened  with  pleasure  while  she  sang  her  rare  Gaelic 
melodies,  though  not  a  word  of  that  ancient  tongue  did  they  understand. 
Despite  all  of  the  attention  she  received  in  Edinburgh  and  later  in  London, 
she  continued  to  be  as  simple  and  unassuming  as  ever,  preserving  at  all 
times  remarkable  poise.  Alexander  Macgregor  said  of  Flora:  "In  prosperity 
and  adversity,  she  retained  the  same  equable  temperament  of  mind,  the  same 
calm  spirit  of  resignation  and  contentment.  Whatever  fell  to  her  lot  (and 
manv  distressing  things  did),  her  frame  of  mind  remained  constantly  unruf- 
fled and  unchanged.  While  possessed  of  a  keen,  lively,  sensitive  nature,  yet 
she  was  largely  gifted  with  the  power  of  exercising  a  complete  control  over 
her  feelings  and  of  appearing  on  all  occasions  cheerful,  pleasant  and  enter- 
taining." There  was  also  a  modest  but  certain  air  of  quiet  strength  and 
dependableness  about  Flora  which  gave  those  about  her  great  contidence  in 
her  efficiency  and  made  her  well-nigh  indispensable  to  her  closest  friends, 
the  Clanranalds  and  Macdonalds.  Lady  Margaret  prevailed  upon  Flora  to 
remain  with  her  in  Edinburgh  for  more  than  a  year  atter  she  had  planned 
to  return  home.  When  she  finally  reached  Ormiclade  the  whole  country- 
side, old  and  young,  had  gathered  at  Lady  Clanranald's  to  offer  her  their 
heartiest  greetings.  The  old  laird  exclaimed  in  Gaelic:  "Flora,  my  dear,  I 
rejoice  to  see  your  comely  face  again.  You  are  welcome  back  to  the  Isle  oi 
your  birth,  for  the  household  was  devoid  of  joy  and  gladness  since  you  left  it 
and  even  'Ceolag'  itself  (the  small  piano)  as  if  under  lamentation  was  mute." 

Meanwhile  a  great  excitement  was  sweeping  through  the  length  and 
breadth  of  Scotland.  Persistent  rumors  were  atioat  concerning  the  purpose 
of  Prince  Charles  to  invade  England  and  fight  for  his  throne. 

To  regain  the  crown  of  his  fathers  was  the  dream  ot  Prince  Charles 
Edward's  youth  and  the  one  supreme  effort  of  his  manhood.  All  are  famil- 
iar with  the  story,  how,  without  money,  men  or  munitions,  "Bonnie  Prince 
Charlie  had  come  over  the  water"  and  with  high  hope  sent  out  a  ringing  call 
to  the  Clans.  The  world  has  never  seen  a  finer  exhibition  of  chivalry  than 
the  response  of  the  Highlanders  to  that  appeal.  Life,  worldly  goods,  and 
the  fate  oi  women  and  children  v\ere  laid  upon  the  altar  of  their  loyalty 


.^^'»**2^ 


^^S^'^ 


■^>^4^'^'jk.~^ 


to  the  Stuart  cause.  On 
that  dark  and  bloody 
day,  April  i  6,  1 746,  for 
the  last  time,  for  Scot- 
land's sake,  the  tartaned 
Highlanders  swept  into 
battle.  Ah,  Culloden! 
Culloden!  Who  can 
voice  thy  bitterness  and 
woe! 

But  the  dav  was  not 
wholly  dark.  It  was 
granted  to  Scotland  that 
out  ot  the  gloom  there 
should  flash  forth  a  deed 
so  full  of  high  patriot- 
ism that  so  long  as  the 
true  sons  of  the  Gael 
shall  toregather,  it  will 
be  remembered  with 
glad  hearts  and  high- 
litted  bonnets.  Think 
you  that  this  honor  was 
granted  to  some  great 
chief  in  the  forefront 
ot  battle,  in  the  heat  ot 
the  onrush,  with  uplifted  claymore  and  high-sounding  battle-cry?  Nay, 
it  was  but  a  bit  sonsie  lassie,  her  hair  yet  bound  with  the  blue  snood  of 
maidenhood,  who  offered  her  all,  even  life  itself,  to  save  Scotland's  "Bonnie 
Prince." 

As  Professor  Blaikie  has  said,  "It  is  not  so  easy  to  be  heroic  on  the  cool 
wave  of  human  brotherhood  as  on  the  hot  wave  of  political  enthusiasm." 
Scotland's  last  libation  to  political  enthusiasm  had  been  poured  out  on  the 
battlefield  ot  Culloden.  The  Stuart  Prince,  hunted  from  cavern  to  cavern, 
was  even  now  in  hiding  near  Ormiclade,  the  residence  of  the  Clanranalds. 
His  faithful  friends  met  at  Ormiclade  by  night  to  plan  for  his  escape,  but 
the  fugitive  was  so  surrounded  by  his  pursuers  that  it  seemed  beyond  human 
power  to  effect  his  rescue.  In  this  extremity,  Lady  Clanranald  appealed  in 
behalf  of  those  present  to  Flora  Macdonald,  saying,  "\^^e  all  know  that  you 
are  the  only  person  whom  we  deem  at  all  likely  to  save  him."  The  generous 
sympathy  of  Flora's  nature  responded  to  the  urgency  of  the  situation.   Yet 

[10] 


Flora  was  well  aware  that  Government  forces  were  searching  every  hill  and 
dale,  that  more  ships  had  joined  in  the  patrol  of  every  port  and  inlet,  so  that 
escape  by  land  or  sea  could  only  happen  as  by  a  miracle.  Furthermore,  a 
fortune  of  ^'30,000  was  offered  to  any  man,  woman  or  child  who  would 
betray  the  Prince,  while  imprisonment  and  death  threatened  those  who 
should  befriend  him.  Flora  had  to  decide  at  once  in  the  face  of  other 
difficulties;  responsibility  for  the  life  of  Scotland's  Royal  Prince  would  be 
upon  her  head;  her  own  life  was  at  stake;  she  must  involve  her  dearest 
friends  in  danger,  perhaps  financial  ruin  and  imprisonment;  and  finally  she 
must  withstand  the  serious  objections  of  her  only  brother,  whom  she  deeply 
loved.  The  idea  that  Flora  was  inspired  to  heroism  by  love  for  "Bonnie 
Prince  Charlie"  is  absolutely  unsupported  by  the  facts,  for  it  is  stated  on 
excellent  authority  that  she  had  never  met  the  Prince  until  she  started  on 
her  mission  to  save  him. 

Everyone  now  depended  on  Flora  to  carry  out  her  plan.  At  the  very 
beginning,  an  incident  occurred  which  she  turned  from  seeming  disaster  to 
the  greatest  advantage.  Returning  by  night  from  a  conference  with  her 
brother  at  Milton,  she  and  her  servant,  Niel  MacEachainn,  were  seized  by 
a  guard  of  soldiers  and,  having  no  passports,  were  detained  as  prisoners  for 
the  night.  Flora  learned,  to  her  great  relief,  that  her  stepfather,  Captain 
Hugh  Macdonald,  commanded  the  troop  and  would  arrive  there  early  in  the 
morning.  Flora  took  the  first  opportunity  to  address  her  stepfather  in  the 
hearing  of  the  officers  and  men,  saying,  "I  would  request  that  you  give  me 
passports  that  I  may  cross  over  to  Skye  and  visit  my  mother  during  these 
troublesome  times."  Captain  Macdonald  promised  to  send  her  the  necessary 
passports  as  she  enumerated  them,  one  for  herself,  one  for  her  servant,  Niel 
MacEachainn,  one  for  Betty  Burke,  an  Irish  spinning  maid,  whom  she 
wished  to  take  to  her  mother,  and  a  permit  for  the  boat  and  crew  of  six  men. 

According  to  Flora's  plan,  the  Prince  was  to  impersonate  Betty  Burke, 
the  Irish  spinning  maid.  Lady  Clanranald  ransacked  her  wardrobe  to  pro- 
vide a  suitable  costume  for  the  awkward,  masculine  wearer.  At  last,  all 
being  in  readiness.  Captain  O'Neal,  the  inseparable  companion  of  the  Prince, 
guided  Lady  Clanranald,  Flora  and  Niel  to  the  wretched  hut  seven  or  eight 
miles  away,  where  they  found  His  Royal  Highness,  descendant  of  an  ancient 
line  of  Kings,  preparing  a  scanty  meal.  Lady  Clanranald  presented  Flora  as 
the  loyal  friend  who  was  willing  to  sacrifice  her  life  for  his  safety.  The 
Prince  expressed  his  appreciation  in  the  genial  manner  which  won  him  good- 
will everywhere.  Flora  explained  to  the  Prince  that  he  must  now  assume  the 
character  of  the  Irish  spinning  maid  for  whom  she  had  secured  the  passport, 
and  in  some  doubt  and  amusement  the  Prince  retired  to  try  on,  with  O'Neal's 
help,  his  new  garments.    Anxious  as  they  were,  they  had  to  laugh  over  his 


^nORf 


^u^ 


,£;^S:-.*J^-*'^^' 


appearance,  but  the  large  hood 
and  cape  concealed  his  tace  and 
hgure  to  some  extent  and  the 
effect  was  all  that  could  be  ex- 
pected. Then  a  ditticulty  arose. 
Captain  O'Neal  insisted  on  going 
with  the  Prince,  who  also  in  turn 
refused  to  be  separated  from  his 
constant  adherent.  It  was  a  trying 
moment.  Then  Flora  spoke  re- 
spectfully, but  most  determinedly: 
"Your  Royal  Highness  must  un- 
derstand that  as  I  procured  pass- 
ports for  three  persons,  myself,  my 
servant,  and  my  mother's  maid, 
the  attempt  ot  a  iourth  to  accom- 
pany us  without  a  passport,  es- 
pecially Captain  O'Neal,  who  is 
known  to  every  officer  and  soldier 
throughout  the  Island,  would  at 
once  imperil  the  lives  of  us  all." 
The  Prince  and  O'Neal  yielded 
and  her  judgment  was  borne  out 
the  very  next  morning  when 
O'Neal  was  arrested  at  the  Ford. 
It  had  been  arranged  that  a  boat  and  crew  should  await  them  at  a  certain 
place  on  the  shore.  On  that  fateful  evening  of  the  27th  of  June,  when  Flora 
and  her  servant,  Niel,  joined  the  anxious  Prince  and  in  a  drenching  rain 
reached  the  shore,  they  saw  to  their  dismay,  several  boats  tilled  with  armed 
men  making  straight  toward  them.  Crouching  down  in  the  dripping 
heather,  they  expected  every  moment  to  be  discovered  and  hred  upon.  To 
their  wonder  and  reliet,  the  patrol  turned  seaward  and  disappeared  in  the 
darkness. 

At  midnight,  with  a  storm  brooding,  they  embarked  in  an  open  boat  on 
their  perilous  voyage  of  forty  miles  across  the  black  waters  of  the  Minch. 
They  had  to  run  the  gauntlet  of  Government  vessels  scouring  the  channel 
in  every  direction.  They  nearly  lost  their  lives  in  a  fearful  storm  which 
threatened  to  swamp  the  boat.  Driven  helplessly  before  the  wind,  the 
sailors  strained  every  nerve  to  keep  afloat.  The  Prince  encouraged  the  crew 
and,  as  the  storm  abated,  enlivened  them  with  his  songs  and  stories  until  at  last 
they  saw  the  dawn  and  in  the  dim  distance  beheld  the  lofty  headlands  of  Skve. 


PITCHER  OF  THE  SHAVER  SERNTCE  PRESENTIiI 

MACDONALD  BY  ADMIRIXG  FRIENDS  IX    I 

IN'  APPRECIATION   OF   HER   HEROISN 


[12] 


With  hope  renewed,  they  started  to  land,  but  nearing  shore,  they  almost 
ran  into  a  large  party  of  the  Macleod  militia.  Not  a  moment  was  to  be 
lost.  Desperately  the  crew  pulled  away  from  the  beach.  The  militia  having 
no  boat,  opened  tire  upon  the  fugitives.  The  bullets  came  thick  and  fast. 
Heedless  ot  danger,  the  Prince  stood  up  and  cheered  his  men,  at  the  same 
time  bidding  Flora  to  get  down  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat.  "The  life  of 
Your  Highness  is  worth  more  than  mine,"  cried  Flora,  "I  will  not  protect 
myself  until  you  do."  The  bullets  riddled  the  sails,  cleft  the  helm  handle 
and  grazed  the  steerman's  lingers.  By  that  time  the  Prince,  Flora  and  Niel 
were  down  on  the  ballast,  and  there  remained  until  they  were  beyond  the 
reach  ot  danger. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  they  finally  landed  at  Kilbride,  very 
near  the  residence  of  Sir  Alexander  and  Lady  Macdonald.  Leaving  the 
Prince  in  a  cave  by  the  shore.  Flora  and  Niel  walked  to  Monkstadt  House. 
Flora  was  at  once  ushered  into  the  drawing  room.  She  found  herself  in  the 
midst  of  a  large  company,  all  rising  to  greet  her  warmly,  as  they  had  not 
seen  her  since  her  long  absence  in  Edinburgh,  all  but  Captain  Macleod  of 
the  militia,  who  began  in  a  severe  manner  to  ask  her  pointed  questions, 
whence  she  came,  who  accompanied  her,  whither  she  was  going.  Flora, 
remembering  her  experience  with  the  Macleod  militia  that  morning,  keenly 
surmised  that  Captain  Macleod  connected  her  visit  at  this  time  to  some 
important  cause.  It  was  a  moment  which  required  all  her  self-possession. 
If  she  faltered,  all  was  lost.    Outwardly  calm  and  smiling,  she  answered  him 


LADLE  AND  SAUCE  BOAT  OF  THE  BE.AUTIFUL  SILVER  SERVICE  OF  OLD  ENGLISH  CRAFTSM.ANSHIP.     BOTH  OF 

THESE  PIECES  AND  THE  PITCHER  SHOWN  OPPOSITE  ARE  NOW  IN  THE  POSSESSION 

OF  MRS.  E.  K.  JUSTICE  OF  GREENSBORO.  NORTH  CAROLINA 


[13] 


^ 


so  agreeably  that  his  suspicious  attitude  soon  changed  to  one  of  interest  and 
pleasure  in  her  conversation.  Always  guarded  and  far-seeing,  Flora  knew 
that  the  secret  of  the  Prince's  arrival  must  be  told  to  Lady  Margaret  and 
a  messenger  sent  to  his  hiding  place.  She  asked  her  old  friend  Kingsburgh 
to  break  the  news  to  Lady  Margaret  and  dispatched  Niel,  and  later,  Kings- 
burgh, with  food  and  messages  to  the  Prince. 

After  midnight.  Captain  Macleod  and  his  men  having  retired.  Flora, 
Ladv  AFargaret,  Kingsburgh  and  Captain  Donald  Roy  met  in  conference. 
Kingsburgh  was  to  start  for  home  early  in  the  morning  taking  the  Prince 
with  him  by  a  circuitous  route.  Donald  Roy  was  to  set  out  immediately 
for  Portree,  twenty  miles  distant,  to  secure  a  boat  in  which  the  Prince  might 
cross  over  to  the  Isle  of  Raasay.  Owing  to  the  presence  in  the  house  of 
the  Prince's  enemies.  Flora  arranged  to  leave  later  and  join  Kingsburgh  and 
the  Prince  on  the  way.  Thus,  the  next  morning,  while  Flora  was  chatting 
pleasantly  with  Captain  Macleod  in  the  breakfast  room,  her  charge  was 
being  conducted  almost  under  the  officer's  eyes  on  the  road  toward  the 
residence  ot  Kingsburgh. 

Late  that  night,  Kingsburgh  and  his  guests,  drenched  through  with  the 
heavy  rain,  reached  his  house  in  safety.  The  Lady  ot  Kingsburgh,  like 
Lady  Margaret,  was  overcome  with  fright  when  told  that  the  Prince  had 
arrived.  She  was  sure  that  utter  ruin,  even  death,  would  befall  them  for 
shielding  the  fugitive.  However,  Kingsburgh  assured  her:  "My  dear  wife, 
we  shall  die  but  once  and  at  any  rate  we  shall  give  our  lives  in  a  good  and 
noble  cause." 

The  next  day  the  Prince  enjoyed  his  first  rest  in  a  bed  for  months,  took 
leave  of  his  faithful  friends,  and  accompanied  by  Flora  and  Niel,  started  for 
Portree.  Flora  thought  it  prudent  at  the  time  that  the  Prince  should  change 
his  Irish  maid's  costume  for  the  dress  of  a  Highland  farmer,  and  left  Niel 
to  attend  him  in  the  exchange  while  she  walked  on. 

Arrived  at  Portree,  they  were  met  by  the  young  laird  of  Raasay  and 
Donald  Roy,  who  had  the  boat  ready  for  the  trip  over  to  the  Island  of 
Raasay.  The  rain  was  still  falling  in  torrents  when  the  Prince  bade  goodbye 
to  Hora  and  thanked  her  for  bringing  him  through  the  wall  of  tire  which 
had  surrounded  him,  hoping  that  when  he  should  win  his  throne  he  might 
reward  her  loyalty  with  many  honors.  But  the  years  passed  by  and  the 
Prince  neither  won  his  throne  nor  expressed  his  gratitude. 

The  King's  forces  in  much  chagrin  that,  in  spite  of  their  vigilance,  the 
Prince  had  escaped,  now  turned  in  vengeance  upon  those  who  had  befriended 
him.  Flora,  disdaining  concealment,  was  made  a  State  prisoner  and  con- 
veyed to  London.  There  she  excited  the  greatest  interest  and  admiration  and 
was  visited  and  honored  by  the  highest  in  the  land.     Frederick,  Prince  of 


Wales,  came  to  pay  his  respects.  When  he  asked  Flora  how  she  dared  to 
assist  a  rebel  against  his  father's  throne,  she  replied  with  gentle  dignity,  "I 
would  have  done  as  much  for  you.  Your  Highness,  had  I  found  you  in  like 
distress."  Prince  Frederick  was  so  impressed  with  her  sincerity  and  charm 
of  manner,  that  he  exerted  himself  to  ensure  her  every  courtesy  and  comfort. 
\\  hen  Flora's  liberation  was  announced,  she  requested  the  same  favor 
tor  her  fellow-prisoners  from  the  Western  Isles  and  did  not  rest  until  she  had 
procured  the  freedom  of  all.    On  Flora's  return  to  the  Highlands,  the  ioy 


ITER  UF  THE  1-T,(1RA  MACDONALD  SILNER  SER\'ICE.    SHE  WAS  OBLIGED  TO  SELL  HER  TREASURED 
SERN'ICE  TO  OBTAIN  PASSAGE  MONEY  BEFORE  LEAVING  AMERICA.     THIS  WAITER 
IS  NOW  OWNED  BY  W.  G.  DAX'IS  OF  WILSON,  NORTH  CAROLINA 

of  her  friends  knew  no  bounds  and  her  homecoming  was  made  a  triumphal 
progress. 

On  the  6th  of  November,  1 750,  occurred  the  wedding  of  Flora  and  Allan 
Macdonald.son  of  the  Macdonald  of  Kingsburgh,who  befriended  the  Prince. 
He  is  described  as  being  one  of  the  most  handsome  and  powerful  Highlanders 
in  his  clan  and  possessed  of  all  the  qualities  which  constitute  the  true  gentleman. 

One  would  think  that  every  event  in  the  life  of  this  distinguished  woman 
would  be  clearly  known  and  commemorated,  yet  many  people  are  unaware 
of  the  fact  that  Flora  Macdonald  lived  for  live  years  in  America.  She  and  her 
husband  sailed  with  five  of  their  seven  children  for  North  Carolina  in  1774, 


confident  that  the  New  World 
would  more  than  make  up  in 
life's  rewards  for  the  troubles 
and  trials  they  had  experi- 
enced in  the  Old. 

The  news  ot  their  coming 
had  preceded  them  and  de- 
monstrations on  a  large  scale 
were  prepared  to  welcome  the 
far-famed  heroine.  They 
were  accorded  the  greatest 
distinction  and  cordiality  hv 
all  classes  of  Highlanders  in 
the  colony,  and  with  hopeful 
hearts  they  entered  upon 
home-making  in  new  sur- 
roundings. The  house  in  which  they  lived  temporarily  at  Cross  Creek  is 
still  known  as  "Flora  Macdonald's  House."  Up  the  stream  called  Barbecue 
Creek  stood  the  old  kirk  where  the  clansmen  gathered  for  worship  and  on 
its  membership  rolls  Flora  inscribed  her  name.  In  Cross  Creek,  now 
Fayetteville,  visitors  are  still  shown  "Flora  Macdonald's  Spring"  and 
"Flora  Macdonald's  Tree."  Today,  beside  the  dusty  highway,  a  broken 
old  stump  lifts  its  head.  The  grass  creeps  over  its  wide-spreading  roots  and 
the  wild  flowers  lay  their  dainty  faces  against  its  rugged  sides.  It  was  once 
a  great  oak  and  under  its  spreading  branches  the  Scottish  heroine  took  her 
stand  on  February  i8,  1776,  the  dark  day  of  the  "Highland  March  Out." 
In  the  autumn  of  i  775,  Flora  settled  at  her  new  home,  a  large  plantation 
which  they  named  Killiegray.  Here  Flora  thought  to  spend  the  rest  of  her 
days  with  her  family  in  peace  and  quiet.  But  even  before  the  Macdonalds 
arrived,  the  storm  of  the  Revolutionary  War  was  threatening,  and  it  was 
difficult  for  latecomers  to  realize  its  significance.  Hundreds  of  Highlanders 
who  settled  in  North  Carolina  after  Culloden  were  still  haunted  by  the  oath 
which  they  had  been  obliged  to  sign.  This  fearsome  document  which  was 
not  revoked  until  1782  was  calculated  to  keep  back  any  Highlander  who 
signed  it  from  even  the  appearance  of  disloyalty.   The  oath  reads: 


I,  ....  do  swear  and  as  I  shall  answer  to  God  at  the  great  day 
of  judgment,  I  have  not,  nor  shall  have  in  my  possession  any  gun, 
pistoJ^  or  arm  whatsoever,  and  never  use  tartan,  plaid  or  any  part  of 
the  Highland  garb;  and  if  I  do  so  may  I  be  cursed  in  my  undertakings, 
familv  and  property;  may  I  never  see  my  wife  and  children,  father, 
mother  or  relation;  may  I  be  killed  in  battle  as  a  coward,  and  lie  with- 

[16] 


out  Christian  burial,  in  a  strange  land,  far  from  the  graves  of  my  fore- 
fathers and  kindred — may  all  this  come  across  me,  if  I  break  my  oath. 

When  Governor  Martin  issued  his  royalist  proclamation,  Allan  Mac- 
donald  was  among  the  first  to  respond.  Flora  took  the  side  of  her  king  and 
native  land  as  if  by  impulse  and  not  from  knowledge  or  reason.  Quick  to 
decide,  nothing  could  swerve  her  from  what  she  considered  the  right.  A 
glimpse  of  her  attitude  is  shown  in  a  letter  to  a  friend  written  from  Killiegray. 

February  i,  i 776 
Dear  Maggie: — Allan  leaves  tomorrow  to  join  Donald's  Standard  at 
Cross  Creek,  and  1  shall  be  alone  wi'  my  three  bairns.  Canna'  ye 
come  and  stay  wi'  me  awhile?  There  are  troublous  times  ahead,  I  ween. 
God  will  keep  the  right.  I  hope  all  our  ain  are  in  the  right,  prays 
your  good  friend, 

Flory  Macdonald 

During  the  late  months  of  1775,  Flora  Macdonald's  influence  was  felt 
throughout  the  Highland  settlements.  Descended  from  a  family  of  heroes, 
whose  deeds  of  valor  had  afforded  themes  for  the  immortal  Ossian,  there  was 
a  spirit  within  Flora  that  never  turned  back  from  hard  and  stern  duty.  It 
was  this  spirit  that  led  her 
now  at  the  time  of  crisis, 
to  carry  the  "Fiery  Cross" 
to  her  countrymen,  sum- 
moning them  once  again  to 
battle  for  their  king.  The 
clansmen  came  from  fiir 
and  near,  gathering  around 
the  Royal  Standard  which 
had  been  set  up  in  the  town 
square.  On  the  day  of  the 
march  out.  Flora,  mounted 
on  her  white  pony,  ad- 
dressed the  troops  in  Gaelic 
as  they  were  reviewed  by 
General  Donald  Mac- 
donald.  She  appealed  to 
their  love  of  the  old  land 
whence  they  came.  It  was 
their  king  who  called  them 
to  arms.  She  rallied  them 
by  memories  of  Highland 


COMMUNION  CUPS  USED  IN  BARBECUE  CHURCH  FROM 
PRESENT  TIME.     FLORA  MACDONALD  WAS 
MEMBER  OF  THIS  CHURCH 


[17] 


heroism  and  Highland  devotion.  The  clansmen,  wild  in  their  enthusiasm, 
answered  her  in  tierce  Gaelic  oaths  of  loyalty.  When  the  troops  prepared  to 
march,  she  rode  a  little  way  out  of  the  town  and  took  up  her  position  under 
the  old  oak.  As  the  Highlanders  passed  in  their  tartans  and  feathered  bonnets 
she  called  out  to  each  clan  its  Gaelic  battle-cry. 

But  neither  Flora's  patriotic  fervor,  nor  the  clansmen's  ardor  could  save 
the  Royal  Highland  regiment  from  the  disaster  of  a  few  days  later.  On  their 
march  to  Wilmington,  the  orders  were  to  rush  a  bridge  over  Widow  Moore's 
Creek  an  hour  before  dawn,  and  to  atttack  the  enemy  on  the  opposite  hank. 
At  a  sudden  blast  from  the  bugles  and  a  wide  skirl  from  the  bagpipes,  they 
made  the  rush  in  the  dark.  Their  cry  rang  out  on  the  night:  "King  Cieorge 
and  broadswords!"  But  the  clever  American  Patriots,  among  them  High- 
landers as  good  as  the  best,  outwitted  the  Loyalists.  In  the  night,  the  planks 
had  been  lifted  from  the  sleepers  of  the  bridge  and  the  logs  barked  and 
greased.  When  the  onrush  came,  the  entrenched  Patriots  swept  with  their 
tire  the  bridge  and  the  bank  beyond.  Confused,  surrounded,  defeated,  some 
seven  hundred  or  more  Loyalists,  including  all  their  chief  otficers,  were  taken 
prisoners.  The  private  soldiers  were  released  under  bonds  not  again  to  take 
up  arms.  Allan  Macdonald  and  his  son  remained  prisoners  until  eighteen 
months  later,  when  they  were  released  on  parole,  and  according  to  the 
records  were  exchanged  in  New  York,  November,  1778,  for  American 
otficers  of  equal  rank  in  the  hands  of  the  British.  Allan  rejoined  his  regi- 
ment in  Nova  Scotia. 


l.S] 


Throughout  those  terrihle  months  of  distress  and  fear  Flora  suffered  all 
the  anguish  which  war  brings,  hut  made  no  complaint.  Owing  to  the  part 
she  had  taken  in  the  early  months  of  the  Revolution,  she  was  made  to 
endure  the  consequences,  and  the  family  of  Kenneth  Black  with  whom  she 
lived  after  she  left  Killiegray,  had  to  suffer  also.  Meanwhile,  two  of  her 
children  had  died,  and  were  buried  at  Killiegray.  She  could  seldom  hear 
from  her  husband,  but  at  length  a  letter  came,  advising  her  to  return  to 
Scotland.  She  was  loath  to  leave  her  dear  ones  in  America  and  her  heart 
was  sad  as  she  thought  of  those  lonely  graves  of  her  children  at  Killiegray. 
However,  she  had  the  opportunity  to  secure  passports  for  herself  and  her 
youngest  daughter,  Fanny,  as  far  as  Wilmington,  and  decided  to  venture  upon 
the  long  journey  home.  They  succeeded  in  getting  to  Charleston  and  there 
took  passage  on  a  British  vessel  for  Scotland.  At  Wilmington,  in  order  to 
meet  her  expenses  Flora  sold  her  precious  silver,  prized  because  of  its  beauty 
of  old  English  craftsmanship,  more  prized  because  it  was  the  gift  of  admiring 
friends  in  London,  when  as  "the  Prince's  Preserver"  she  was  the  centre  of 
popular  interest. 

The  voyage  from  America  to  Scotland  was  marked  by  an  engagement 
between  the  British  vessel  and  a  French  warship.  In  the  thick  of  the  hght 
the  British  seamen  appeared  to  waiver.  At  this.  Flora  sprang  forward  and 
incited  the  men  to  new  courage  and  victorious  effort.  She  suffered  a  broken 
arm  for  her  daring  part  in  the  conflict. 

In  Nova  Scotia,  Allan  Macdonald  of  the  84th  Regiment  was  given  his 
discharge  in  1783  as  an  officer  on  half-pay.  He  rejoined  his  wife  in  Skye 
and  they  had  a  few  quiet  years  together  on  the  Kingsburgh  estate.  Flora 
died  on  March  5,  1790,  and  a  funeral  cortege  of  many  thousands  attended 
her  when  she  was  laid  to  rest,  while  the  pipers  played  the  "Coronach,"  the 
lament  for  departed  greatness. 

The  nobility  of  her  character  and  the  romance  of  her  life  lead  hundreds 
from  all  quarters  of  the  kingdom  to  visit  her  grave  in  the  churchyard  of 
Kilmuir. 

In  America  as  well,  the  memory  of  Flora  Macdonald  will  be  forever 
cherished  by  all  true-hearted  Gaels;  for  in  America  she  revealed  her  won- 
derful personal  power,  her  devotion  to  duty  and  her  heroic  fortitude  even 
more  marvelously  than  in  Scotland. 

Flora  said  of  herself  that  she  had  fought  for  both  the  House  of  Stuart 
and  the  House  of  Hanover  and  had  been  worsted  in  the  service  of  each. 
She  thought  her  life  in  so  far  a  failure.  But  the  seeds  of  noble  endeavor 
sown  in  Scotland  and  across  the  sea  in  America  are  today  bearing  truit  in 
a  memorial  which  shall  immortalize  this  great  Scottish  heroine.  There  is 
no  finer  instance  of  poetic  justice  than  the  establishment  of  the  Flora  Mac- 
donald College  in  North  Carolina. 


mi* 
re 


i-i 


K 


'."4 


A  MESSAGE  FROM  DOCTOR  MACDONALD 


//  is  pdlhelk,  as  7ciil  as  most  interesting,  that  the  Scotch  people  with  all  their 
love  of  clan  and  kin  and  their  reverence  jor  their  heroes  should  have  allowed  the  fact 
that  Flora  Macdonald  had  lived  in  A  merica  and  had  taken  an  active  part  in  the 
opening  scenes  of  the  American  Revolution  to  be  practically  forgotten. 

It  is  with  a  feeling  of  very  sincere  joy  that  we  bring  to  the  Scotch  people  of  the 
world  the  following  extract  from  the  speech  of  Doctor  J.  A .  Macdonald,  made  in 
Fayetteville,  N.  C,  May,  IQ14. 


IX  Dr.  Foote's  "Sketches 
of  North  Carolina,"  not 

long  ago  I  came  upon 
this  sentence:  "Massachu- 
setts has  her  Arabella;  Vir- 
ginia her  Pocahontas;  North 
Carolina  her  Flora  Mac- 
donald." 

In  Dr.  Johnson's  sketches 
ot  his  tour  of  the  Hebrides 
in  1772  I  read  this  predic- 
tion: "Flora  Macdonald,  a 
name  that  will  be  men- 
tioned in  history,  and,  if 
courage  and  self-sacrifice 
be  virtues,  mentioned  with 
honor." 

On  the  striking  marble 
statue  ot  the  heroine  stand- 
ing picturesquely  on  Castle 
Hill,  in  Inverness,  the  cap- 
ital of  the  Scottish  High- 
lands, this  inscription  in 
Cjaelic  is  carved: 


had  's  a  dh'  tliasas  flur 
h-ainnir 


air  machair, 

Mairidh  cliu  n 

Chaoimh. 


"While  the  Howers  bloom  in 
the  meadow  the  name  of  the 
fair  maiden  shall  endure." 

Here  in  America,  in  the  United  States  and  in  Canada,  we  ot  the  Scottish 
race  and  tradition  will  be  untrue  to  ourselves  and  tt)  our  blood  it  we  are 


[20] 


unfaithful  to  the  charge  which  history  has  committed  to  us.  The  name 
and  fame  of  Flora  Macdonald  are  part  of  our  American  inheritance,  and 
touch  with  world-romance  and  world-renown  our  American  history.  It 
will  be  to  our  discredit  and  to  our  children's  loss  all  over  this  continent  if 
America  forgets  the  few  touches  of  wonder  and  of  bloom  that  gave  dis- 
tinction to  our  life. 

In  commemorating  Flora  Macdonald's  life  in  America,  the  rest  of  the 
United  States  and  the  Dominion  of  Canada  look  to  North  Carolina  for  a 
lead.  It  was  here  she  lived.  Her  steadiness  of  character,  the  loftiness  of 
her  spirit,  her  fine  devotion  to  duty,  and  the  uncomplaining  way  she  took 
the  reverses  and  losses  and  sore  disappointments  that  came  to  her  life  are 
all  a  part  of  the  enduring  wealth  of  North  Carolina's  citizenship. 

And  the  rest  of  North  Carolina  has  a  right  to  look  for  leadership  to  this 
Scottish  Society  of  America.  This  charge  is  ours  to  keep.  It  is  our  sacred 
trust.  As  your  President  during  the  past  year  I  have  faced  this  obligation, 
and  have  come  to  this  annual  assembly  to  ask  you  to  face  it,  too.  *  *  *  * 
Her  tame  was  world-wide  lor  twenty  vears  before  ever  she  came  to  America, 
but  we  ought  not  to  let  the  world  forget  that  here  she  lived,  that  here,  too,  her 
gentle  name  is  remembered  and  loved. 

The  most  worthy  memorial  of  Flora  Macdonald  would  be  an  educa- 
tional institution  bearing  her  name,  that  would  offer  to  hundreds  of  girls 
and  young  w^omen  in  these  Scottish  communities  the  advantages  of  a  college 
education,  which  Sir  Alexander  Macdonald,  the  Chieftain  of  Skye,  gave  to 
Flora  herself  when  he  sent  her  for  three  years  to  a  ladies'  college  in  Edin- 
burgh. Like  very  many  Scottish  girls  in  the  Carolinas  and  Virginia  and 
Kentucky  and  Tennessee  and  Alabama,  she  inherited  good  blood,  good  char- 
acter and  good  ability  but  not  even  a  competent  portion  of  worldly  wealth. 
War  and  the  reverses  of  history  have  done  for  these  Southern  States  what 
similar  infiuences  did  for  our  forefathers  in  the  shires  and  islands  of  Scotland. 
And  what  Alacdonald  of  Skye  did  for  his  young  kinswomen,  our  Scottish- 
American  democracy  might  surely  do  for  generation  after  generation  of  our 
young  women,  who,  like  her,  have  high  ambitions  and  a  worthy  desire  to 
fit  themselves  for  useful  lives  and  helpful  service.  Therefore,  it  is,  I  propose, 
a  "Flora  Macdonald  College." 

During  the  past  year  I  ventured  to  suggest  to  the  authorities  of  the  South- 
ern Presbyterian  College  and  Conservatory  of  Music  at  Red  Springs  that  the 
name  of  that  excellent  institution  be  changed,  that  the  college  be  adequately 
endowed,  and  that  its  scope  be  broadened  so  as  worthily  to  bear  the  name  of 
the  Scottish  heroine,  herself  a  Presbyterian,  a  college  graduate  and  a  noble  ex- 
ample of  Christian  womanhood.  I  find  that  already  the  executive  authorities 
have  taken  action.    They  are  resolved  that  the  present  enrollment  of  nearly 


3 


three  hundred  students  shall  be  increased,  that  the  high  educational  standard 
shall  be  maintained,  and  that  the  doors  shall  be  closed  to  no  worthy  girl  whose 
only  bar  is  poverty. 

The  Red  Springs  College,  with  its  fine  buildings  and  beautiful  surround- 
ings, is  chosen  because  it  is  in  the  very  heart  of  this  Flora  Macdonald  settle- 
ment, because  eighty  per  cent,  of  its  students  are  of  Scottish  ancestry,  because 
its  spirit  and  ideals  are  worthy,  and  because  its  endowment  would  go,  not 
into  unecessary  bricks  and  mortar,  but  into  personality  and  training  and  the 
upbuilding  of  character.  To  express  my  faith  in  this  undertaking,  and  in  the 
Scottish  people  of  these  States,  and  in  you  of  the  Scottish  Society  of  America, 
I  am  prepared,  as  your  President,  to  add  to  the  endowment  when  it  reaches 
Si 00,000,  a  contribution  ot  Si 0,000,  and  still  further  to  seek  its  assistance 
until  the  endowment  shall  be  worthy  of  the  cause,  worthy  of  the  Scottish 
traditions,  and  worthy  of  the  "Flora  Macdonald  College." 

If  any  ask  why  I  should  join  you  in  this  matter  and  seek  the  co-operation 
of  other  Canadians,  this  is  my  answer:  The  Scottish  people  of  the  United 
States  and  the  Scottish  people  of  Canada,  after  these  four  generations  of 
separation,  may  here  and  now  join  hands  again  in  a  labor  of  love,  honoring 
to  both,  and  loyal  to  what  is  noblest  in  our  common  Scottish  heritage.  As 
President  of  this  Scottish  Society  I  greatly  desire  that  you  and  all  vour  kith 
and  kin  should  feel  with  us  in  Canada  the  common  life-ties  which  bind  us 
together  and  which  hold  us  with  cords  finer  than  silk  but  stronger  than  death, 
true  to  the  Lowland  heath  and  the  Highland  heather. 

More  than  that — fiir  more.  These  vital  ties  of  Scottish  blood  shall  bind 
together  our  two  nations  on  this  continent  in  a  union  of  life  and  interest 
and  high  purpose  u  hich  in  days  to  come,  the  days  of  strain  and  peril,  will 
make  North  American  civilization  stand  impregnable  against  the  world. 
*  *  *  *  And  so,  on  this  historic  ground  of  North  Carolina,  here  where 
once  they  parted,  I  raise  again,  in  its  larger  meaning  and  with  its  world 
significance.  Flora  Macdonald's  own  rallying  slogan  to  the  clans:  "Clanna 
nan  Gaidhael  ri  GuilHbh  a  chiele":  Sons  of  the  Gael,  shoulders  together. 


THE  ACTION  OF  THE  SCOTTISH  SOCIETY  OF  AMERICA 

After  considering  Doctor  Macdonald's  proposition  for  a  year  and  having  exam- 
ined most  carefully  into  the  standing  of  the  Southern  Presbyterian  College,  the 
Scottish  Society  of  America  at  their  regular  annual  meeting,  May  i8,  191  5,  adopted 
the  following  resolutions: 


r^ 


^-\D" 


nti4L 


fjerCaS,  The  great  Scottish   heroine,  the  Lady  Flora  iMacdonakl,  is  of 
Mood  and  lineage;  and 


n^>i 


WfjCreaS,  The  five  >cars  of  her  life  in  America  were  spent  in  out 


lidst; 


fflfjCreaS,  After  mature  deliberation,  we,  the  Scottish  Society  of  America,  do  most 
heartily  endorse  the  suggestion  of  our  ex-President,  Dr.  James.  A  Macdonald,  that  the 
most  worthy  memorial  of  Flora  Macdonald  would  be  an  educational  institution  named  in 
her  honor;  and 

Mfjercasi,  \Ve  liave  in  our  midst  an  institution  in  every  way  fitted  for  the  purpose;  be  it 

Resolved,  firsl,  That  we,  the  Scottish  Society  of  America,  in  annual  assembly,  do  most 
earnestly  request  the  authorities  of  the  Southern  Presbyterian  College  that  they  take 
steps  to  change  the  name  of  this  great  institution  to  "The  Flora  Macdonald  College." 

Resolved,  second.  That  we,  the  Scottish  Society  of  America,  esteem  it  not  only  our  priv- 
ilege, but  our  duty  to  take  the  lead  in  this  movement  to  honor  our  great  heroine  and  to 
make  this  College  worthy,  both  of  the  name  we  propose  to  give  it  and  of  the  educational 
traditions  of  the  Scottish  people. 

To  this  end,  we  name  $500,000  as  the  sum  necessary  to  begin  this  work  with  dignity  and 
insure  its  success. 

Resolved,  third.  That  a  committee  be  appionted,  at  this  meeting,  to  act  with  the  College 
officials  and  other  committees  that  may  be  appointed  by  other  bodies,  to  prepare  and 
send  out  a  booklet,  setting  forth  our  purpose  and  voicing  an  appeal  to  the  Scotch  people 
throughout  the  world  and  to  do  all  they  can,  in  every  way,  to  forward  this  work. 


The  College  authorities  have  granted  the  request  of  the  Scottish  Society  of  An 
ordered  the  name  of  the  College  changed  to  Flora  Macdonald. 
Remember  our  Motto:  Flora  Macdonald  and  Half  a  Million. 
Remember  our  Method:  "Sons  of  the  Gael,  Shoulders  Togeth< 


■3^ 


3) 


W\ 


UK. 


[23] 


THE  FLORA  MACDONALD  COLLEGE 


WHAT  is  the  character  of 
the  institution  that  at- 
tracted Doctor  iMacdon- 
ald  so  powerfully  and  commended 
itself  to  him  so  effectively,  that  he 
judged  it  worthy  to  bear  the  name 
of  his  clanswoman,  the  distin- 
guished Flora  Macdonald?  In  the 
spring  of  1897,  ^^-  Samuel  M. 
Smith,  a  very  warm  friend  of  Rev- 
erend C.  G.  Vardell,  met  him  on 
the  campus  of  Davidson  College 
and  said,  with  much  concern  in 
his  voice:  "\'ardell,  you  are  a 
fool.  Just  what  kind  of  a  fool  you 
are  I  can't  say  just  now.  I  will 
tell  you  this  later.  But  you  are  a 
fool."  What  was  the  trouble?  Mi 
Vardell  had  the  reputation  ot  be- 
ing a  live,  wide-awake,  progress 
ive  man  with  more  than  ordinary  t" 
business  sense — why  then  this  , 
criticism?  v^ 

He  had  left  an  unusually  pleas- 
ant  pastorate  in   which   he  was 
much  beloved  and  very  successful  and  had  undertaken  a  work  that  was,  in 
the  opinion  of  his  friends,  an  utterly  impossible  task. 

The  Cape  Fear  Highlanders,  with  their  ancient  love  of  learning,  smoth- 
ered but  not  extinguished  by  the  dire  poverty  brought  on  them  by  the  War 
between  the  States,  had  determined  to  build  an  institution  for  the  education 
of  their  daughters.  This  was  in  i  894.  By  the  spring  of  1  896,  they  had  fixed 
on  three  things:  the  place,  Red  Springs,  a  small  town  in  Robeson  County, 
North  Carolina,  practically  the  center  of  the  Scotch  country— here  they 
acquired  four  acres  of  land;  the  money,  $4,000  in  cash  and  material,  with 
which  to  erect  buildings  and  provide  operating  capital;  the  man,  Reverend 
C.  G.  Vardell,  then  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  New  Bern,  North 
Carolina. 

The  man's  friends  said  to  him:  "You  are  foolish.  It  cannot  be  done. 
It  is  a  little  place  and  cannot  give  you  the  necessary  backing.     It  is  in  the 

[25] 


THE  ART  COURSE  HAS  AS  ITS 
FIRST  AIM  THE  INSTILLING 
OF  A  GENUINE  APPRECIA- 
TION OF  REAL  ART  AND  A 
TRUE  SENSE  OF  THE  AR- 
TISTIC 


THE  SCIENCE  AND  ECO- 
NOMICS OF  HOUSEHOLD  AF- 
FAIRS IS  TAUGHT.  AS  WELL 
AS  THE  CHEMISTRY  OF  FOOD 
AND  PRACTICAL  COOKING 


Till':    I'l.ORA    MAC 
SOUND  BODY,  SKII 


).\.\l.l)    COl.I.KCl-:   CURKK'l'I.UM    MAKKS    |(.)K    LIM-.    I.h  1  U  I1:Nc:V~A 
i:D  AM)  COORUIXATING  HANDS  AND  BRAIX  RL  LKD  BY  llU;il  IDEALS 


>  1  lli' 

^HBhh^H  I  ^  f        -"m  ,!;uyn[|^H| 

m 

^  --..- .     ^ 

^^m 

THE  EXTRAXCE  HALL  AND  ROTUNDA 


THE  DINING  ROOM 


country,  and  all  the  schools  are  going  to  the  cities,  ^'ou  are  going  against 
the  tide,  and  tinallv,  S4,ooo  is  no  money." 

All  these  things  were  true.  This,  then,  was  the  task — a  small,  practically 
unknown  place,  tour  acres  ot  land,  and  34,000 — to  provide  an  education 
that  would  satisty  keen  Scottish  minds  and  the  rapidly  advancing  demands 
ot  modern  education.  It  is  sinall  wonder  that  Doctor  X'ardell's  friends 
thought  him  rash  to  attempt  this  seeming  impossibility.  It  did  seem  impos- 
sible and  the  success  of  this  work  is  one  of  the  most  wonderful  and  beautiful 
stories  in  the  great  educational  revival  in  the  South. 

When  asked  why  he  undertook  this  work.  Doctor  Vardell  says:  "Well, 
you  see  the  little  place  has  a  wonderful  climate,  the  four  acres  of  land  are 
beautifully  located  and  the  keen  Scottish  minds  were  hungry  for  an  educa- 
tion. The  $4,000?  Well,  that  is  where  faith  came  in.  \'ou  see  there  was 
a  problem  in  education  to  be  solved.  There  were  in  the  South  at  that  time 
schools,  such  as  they  were,  for  the  daughters  of  people  who  had  much  money; 
there  were  also  schools,  such  as  they  were,  for  people  who  had  no  money; 
but  there  were  no  schools  for  that  great  class  of  people  who  had  some  money 
and  wanted  a  good  sound  education  for  their  daughters  at  a  reasonable  cost. 


THE  TONIC  OF  THE  OPEX  AIU  IS 


28] 


DEPARTMEXT  OF  MUSIC  IS  PREEMINENT  IN  ITS  IDEALS  AND  PRACTICAL  COURSES. 
ORCHESTRA  EXEMPLIFIES  ITS  QUALITY  AND  ENTHUSIASM 


When  we  put  in,  as  we  did  immediately,  a  four  years'  course  for  graduation, 
I  was  assured  that  the  girls  of  the  South  did  not  want  that  sort  of  education 
and  that  we  would  never  graduate  a  student.    Nevertheless,  we  did. 

"Second,  there  was  a  problem  in  sociology  to  be  worked  out.  Girls  in 
the  countrv  and  small  towns  were  going  to  the  cities  to  get,  in  many  cases, 
a  so-called  education  and  practically  in  all  cases  a  pronounced  taste  tor  city 
life.  They  were  unwilling  to  return  to  their  homes  and  live,  thus  accelerating 
the  drift  cityward — a  very  undesirable  thing  from  a  sociological  standpoint. 

"Our  idea  was  to  provide  in  a  small  country  town  a  solid  and  well-rounded 
education,  including  the  Household  Arts,  to  bring  the  young  women  into  close 
contact  with  a  most  carefully  selected  and  highly  cultured  faculty,  train  them 
how  to  live  effective  lives,  then  send  them  back  to  their  homes  to  carry  their 
culture  with  them,  stay  and  use  their  influence  for  the  upbuilding  of  their 
community.  How  did  we  expect  to  do  this  on  S4,ooo  and  four  acres  of 
land?  Oh,  well!  the  future  was  there  and  the  Good  Lord  of  us  all  and  the 
people — don't  forget  the  people.  They  were  Scotch  and  the  best  of  the  breed. 
Besides  this,  we  had  a  good  live  idea,  and  a  good  live  idea  cannot  die — and 
this  did  not.  The  thing  has  been  and  is  being  done,  and  the  whole  country 
is  showing  the  effects  of  our  efforts. 

"There  was  also  a  third  consideration:  the  most  important  tact  in  all 
social  and  economic  progress  is  an  adequate  and  active  conception  of  God 
and  the  inevitable  resulting  feeling  of  our  fellowship  with  and  duty  towards 
our  fellowmen.  The  most  important  factor  in  carrying  this  conception  to  the 
world  is  or  should  be,  the  Church.  This  College  always  has  had  and  always 
will  have,  as  one  of  its  prime  objects  the  training  of  active,  intelligent  church 

[29] 


and  social  workers,  by  giving  them  a  noble  and  satisfying  vision  of  the  living 
and  true  God,  and  their  splendid,  and  at  the  same  time,  unavoidable  duties 
towards  their  fellowmen." 

Twenty  years  have  passed — the  little  wooden  house  has  become  a  stately 
brick  building,  fitted  with  all  necessary  appliances  for  good  work.  The 
College  has  its  own  waterworks  and  heating  system  and  electric  light 
plant.  The  four  acres  have  been  spread  out  to  a  hundred,  and  the  34,000  to 
a  plant  worth  $165,000.  The  little  faculty  of  six  noble  souls  who  drew 
together  in  i8y6  have  expanded  to  thirty  efficient  and  enthusiastic  workers; 
the  student  body,  a  little  handful  gathered  from  the  nearby  territory — better 
material  was  never  found  —  has  become  a  splendid  body  of  two  hundred  and 
tifty  young  women,  gathered  from  a  dozen  states. 

The  College  has  won  for  itself  the  enviable  reputation  of  doing  most 
thorough  and  effective  work  of  the  very  best  grade.  In  a  word,  Doctor 
Macdonald  found  at  Red  Springs  a  College  with  high  ideals,  a  competent 
faculty,  an  enthusiastic  student  body  and  an  untarnished  reputation  for  the 
excellence  of  its  work.  To  him  was  given  the  great  idea  of  uniting  the 
memory  of  the  great  Scottish  herione,  Flora  Macdonald,  with  this  present 
and  living  work.  The  College  authorities  have  adopted  his  idea,  the  union 
has  been  consummated,  and  this  institution  now  stands  before  the  world  as 
The  Flora  Macdonald  College,  and  appeals  to  the  Scotch  everywhere  to 
provide  the  endowment  necessary  to  make  it  worthy  of  her  name. 


A  WORD  FROM  THE  LEADING  EDUCATORS  '  STATESMEN  AND 

BUSINESS  MEN  OF  THE  SOUTH  CONCERNING  THE 

FLORA  MACDONALD  COLLEGE  AND  ITS 

PRESIDENT '  DR '  C '  G '  V ARDELL 

A  Noted  Sonlhern  University  President's  Opinion  of  Dr.  Vardell 

With  reference  to  Or.  Charles  G.  \'ardell  of  the  Flora  Macdonald  College,  I  take  pleasure  in  saying  that 
I  have  known  him  frcmi  hi-;  i  (lUege  days.  He  is  brimful  of  enthusiasm,  with  unlimited  capacity  for  work,  and 
of  unusual  gifts  in  stiniul.ii  ini;  others  to  work  with  him.  He  has  accomplished  wonders  at  Red  Springs  and 
I  cordially  conmiLiul  him  and  his  enterprise  as  sure  of  success. 

HENRY  LOUIS  SMITH, 
President  Washington  and  l.ee  University. 

What  a  Leading  Attorney  Thinks  of  the  School 

You  have  built  up  a  college,  which  is  now  a  power  for  good,  felt  all  over  this  upper  Cape  Fear  country. 
Its  influence  for  righteousness  has  reached  everywhere,  and  will  act  and  react,  as  all  moral  forces  do  until 
no  one  can  tell  the  ultimate  bounds.  Your  college  has  given  a  good  education  in  all  fundamentals  and  such 
extras  as  art,  music,  and  other  accomplishments,  as  fit  your  graduates  for  the  active,  useful  and  polished 
walks  of  life,  without  the  frills  and  nonsense,  costly  in  themselves,  which  go  to  make  up  so  much  of  the  curricu- 
lums  of  our  present-day  colleges. 

C.  W.  BROADFOOT, 

.'\ttorney-at-La%v. 

Doctor  Vardell  Considered  by  the  President  of  the  University  of  North  Carolina  One  of  Ablest  Men  in  the  Slate 

I  am  happy  to  say  that  I  consider  Doctor  Vardell  one  of  the  ablest  men  in  educational  work  in  our  State. 
His  ability  as  an  administrator  seems  little  short  of  genius;  and  his  character  and  the  rare  combination  of 
qualities  required  for  the  position  he  holds  perfectly  fit  him  for  the  even  greater  tasks  that  he  has  outlined  for 
the  future.  I  have  absolute  confidence  in  his  success,  not  only  in  raising  the  big  endowment  that  he  plans,  but 
in  developing  a  great  school  fully  adequate  to  the  wonderful  opportunities  offered. 

EDWARD  K.  GRAHAM, 
President  University  of  North  Carolina. 

In  the  Front  Rank  of  Southern  Educators,  says  President  Currell  of  University  of  South  Carolina 

Dr.  C.  G.  Vardell,  President  of  the  Flora  Macdonald  College,  Red  Springs,  North  Carolina,  was  a  pupil 
of  mine  while  I  taught  at  Davidson  College.  He  not  only  was  a  most  e.xcellent  student,  but  was  a  recognized 
leader  in  college  activities.  His  well-known  success  in  his  present  field  has  placed  him  in  the  front  rank  of 
Southern  educators. 

W.  S.  CURRELL, 
President  University  of  South  Carolina. 

Doctor  Vardell' s  Success  Has  Been  Remarkable — Almost  Phenomenal — But  Wholly  Deserved 

Dr.  C.  G.  Vardell's  success  as  President  of  the  Flora  Macdonald  College  has  been  remarkable,  almost 
phenomenal,  and  best  of  all,  in  my  opinion,  it  has  been  deserved.  He  is  a  man  of  unusual  ability,  tireless  energy, 
relentless  persistence,  splendid  executive  power  and  fine  spirit.  The  institution  that  he  has  directed  has  done 
great  service  in  this  State  in  preparing  and  sending  out  into  the  home,  and  church,  and  school,  hundreds  of 
strong  young  women.  It  is  the  hope  of  all  that  know  of  his  past  work,  that  an  adequate  endowment  for  the 
Flora  Macdonald  College  may  be  secured,  that  the  good  work  that  he  is  doing  may  be  strengthened  and  the 
circle  of  it  widened. 

J.  Y.  JOYNER, 
State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction  for  North  Carolina. 

A  Prominent  Insurance  Company's  President  Bespeaks  a  Brilliant  Future  for  Flora  Macdonald  College 

Your  letter  of  the  6th  has  just  been  received.  In  reply  beg  to  state  that  I  have  known  Dr.  \ardell  for  a 
long  time,  and  I  regard  him  as  a  man  of  unusual  ability;  strong  in  character;  strong  in  intellect;  great  in 
energy,  and  the  work  he  has  done  at  Red  Springs  is  unparalleled  in  the  South,  and  if  he  is  given  the  means  to 
carry  on  the  work  and  to  mature  the  plans,  which  he  has,  the  Flora  Macdonald  College  at  Red  Springs  will 
stand  pre-eminent  in  the  South  among  colleges  for  women,  and  it  will  be  a  great  credit  to  the  Church  anil  to 
the  South.  He  has  done  more  with  the  money  that  he  has  had  at  his  command  than  any  man  in  the  profession 
that  I  know  of. 

GEO.  A.  GRIMSLEY, 
President  Jefferson  Standard  Life  Insurance  Co. 

[31    1 


Ex-Governor  Glenn  of  North  Carolina  Considers  Flora  Macdonald  College  a  Credit  to  the  State 

I  have  known  the  Flora  Macdonald  College  from  its  start  to  the  present  day.  Havhig  but  limited  funds 
at  its  disposal,  it  has  taken  the  wisest  and  most  economic  management  to  bring  it  to  its  present  proportion, 
but  through  the  wisdom  of  Dr.  Vardell,  it  is  to-day  doing  a  great  work,  being  up  to  date  in  its  equipment  and 
a  credit  to  the  State  of  North  Carolina  as  one  of  the  institutions  engaged  in  educating  our  young  women. 


President  Vardell  a  Man  of  Great  Energy  and  Accomplishment 

It  gi%es  me  much  pleasure  to  recommend  the  Flora  Macdonald  College.  President  Vardell  is  a  man  of 
great  energy  and  unselfish  devotion  to  his  work.  He  has  succeeded  wonderfully  in  building  up  this  institution 
and  he  has  accomplished  a  great  deal  for  its  section  of  the  State  as  well  as  drawing  students  from  other  parts 
of  the  country.    I  have  visited  the  institution,  watched  its  work,  and  believe  it  to  be  worthy. 

FR.'WCIS  P.  VENABLE, 
Ex-President  University  of  North  Carolina. 

U.  S.  Congressman  Page  Thinks  Flora  Macdonald  Gives  Greatest  Value  of  Any  College 

I  happen  to  know  personally  something  of  the  work  that  is  being  done  by  Flora  Macdonald  College.  Of 
all  the  Southern  Colleges  that  I  know,  there  is  not  one  that  is  giving  as  thorough  instruction  and  as  fine  equip- 
ment for  duties  of  life  at  anything  like  the  same  cost  as  is  this  institution.  It  is  reaching  a  class  of  young  women 
that  have  heretofore  been  largely  unprovided  for  in  the  educational  system  of  the  South.  Its  growth  and 
development  under  the  magnificent  management  of  its  president  has  been  phenomenal. 

R.   N.   PAGE, 

Member  of  Congress. 

This  College  Stands  for  the  Sound,  Solid  Training  of  Young  Women 

It  affords  me  much  pleasure  to  commend  the  work  being  done  by  the  Flora  Macdonald  College.  Dr.  C.  G. 
Vardell  has  been  president  of  this  institution  from  its  beginning,  and  I  think  the  growth  under  his  administration 
has  been  almost  marvelous.  The  College  stands  for  sound,  solid  training  on  the  part  of  its  students  and  is,  I 
believe,  entirely  free  from  those  mistakes  that  have  been  made  by  many  of  our  institutions  in  the  South  for 
the  education  of  women. 

JULIUS  I.  FOUST, 
President  North  Carolina  State  Normal  College. 


Ex-Governor  Kitchiii  of  North  Carolina  Strongly  Endorses  the  School  and  Its  President 

I  have  watched  with  great  interest  the  wonderful  development  of  the  Flora  Macdonald  College  at  Red 
Springs  under  your  management,  and  I  heartily  congratulate  you  on  its  remarkable  success.  You  have  with 
signal  ability  rendered  to  the  educational  interests,  not  only  of  your  section,  but  of  the  whole  State,  a  service 
which  is  unsurpassed  within  my  knowledge.  Knowing  you  to  be  worthy  in  every  respect,  I  extend  to  you  my 
very  best  wishes  in  all  of  your  undertakings.  Yours  truly, 


Doctor  Vardell,  Beloved  by  All  His  Pupils,  Is  Accomplishing  a  Wonderful  Good  in  North  Carolina 

I  have  watched  Dr.  Vardell's  work  in  building  up  the  College  at  Red  Springs  with  profound  interest  and 
great  sympathy,  and  any  one  who  witnessed  the  beginnings  of  things  there,  as  I  did,  and  sees  the  institution 
and  plant  as  it  now  is,  will  know  something  of  the  wonderful  work  he  has  accomplished.  Over  almost  insur- 
mountable difficulties  and  often  against  adverse  conditions  and  with  opposition  on  the  part  of  some,  he  has 
gone  on  with  courage  that  is  inspiring. 

With  it  all.  he  has  endeared  himself  to  his  pupils  as  he  has  stamped  upon  them  and  the  institution  itself 
a  large  measure  of  his  own  consecrated  spirit. 

He  thoroughly  deserves  success.  The  institution  has  been  so  wisely  placed  that,  with  proper  endowment 
and  under  his  wise  guidance,  it  will  accomplish  a  tremendous  good  for  the  yoinig  womanhood  of  North  Carolina, 
particularly  those  in  this  great  Scotch  settlement. 

\VM.  J.  MARTIN, 
President  Davidson  College. 


[32 


